What motorcycle do you want Ariel to build?

Published: 06 December 2007

1. The naked motorcycle

2. The electric motorcycle

3. The supercharged single motorcycle

British firm Ariel is set to make a motorcycle comeback under the guidance of boss Simon Saunders. You can read about his plans in MCN (December 5, 2007), on sale now, but here's a sneak preview of the motorcycles he's got in mind.

So far, three very different ideas are being thrown around for a bike to carry the Ariel badge, and we'd like your feedback on which of them the firm should be making.In next week's MCN (December 12, 2007), we'll show you all the ideas in detail.

1: The naked motorcycleCurrently Ariel makes the Atom car, a stripped-down sportster powered by a Honda VTEC engine. And this bike concept takes the same idea and puts it on two wheels.Powered by a FireBlade engine, the naked machine would feature Ariel's own chassis and styling, allied to a riding position that could be adjusted to allow comfortable touring or commuting, or turned into a tucked-in track weapon. Like it?. Vote below...

2: The electric motorcycleAriel has already made an electric version of its Atom sportscar, and it still has neck-snapping acceleration. This concept would put Ariel at the cutting edge of future bike technology, dispensing with a conventional engine in favour of a powerful electric motor. You can vote for it below.

3: The supercharged single motorcycleIf the Blade-engined option is too obvious, and the electric bike is too wacky, the third idea might just hit the spot. Saunders is considering a simple, lightweight single powered by a bought-in engine, probably from Honda, with a supercharger bolted on to give a big performance increase. The machine would be far lighter than most conventional bikes, and give a huge whack of power and torque thanks to the supercharged motor.